Casting machine



1941- A.-R. WILLARD CASTING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, INVENTOR 140%. 1? Wu. 4:0 M.W

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CASTING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1938 8 Shegis-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Jan. 7, 1941. A wlL D 2,227,872

I CASTING MACHINE Fil ed March 25. 1938. a Sheets-Sheet 3 Pie. 3

INVENTOR. 144 #250 A. M44420 BY 74% W W ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1941.

A. R. WILLARD ,227,872

CASTING MACHINE I Filed Ma'rch 25, 1938 a Sheets-Sheet 4 MEMMMH I INVENTOR. I P75 5 :'BY

I W 2 M ATTORNEYS A. R. WILLARD 2,22 7,872 CASTING MACHINE I Filed March 25; $1932;

8 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 A BY 42Fe50fi4444e0 V ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1941. WILLARD 2,227,872

CASTING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1938 a Sheets-Sheet 6 I llYl/E/YTOE v 144F250 E. M44 sea Jan. 7, 1941. w 2,227,872

CASTING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.

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CASTING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1938 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 r -i 1 i I mi mfg? INVENT OR. 6 1445950 Elfin/gen Ll 4 1 2 12a ATTORNEYfi Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASTING MACHINE Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 198,094

7 Giaims.

This invention relates to an automatic casting machine adapted particularly for casting grids employed in the manufacture of positive and negative plates for batteries of the lead-acid type.

In certain of its aspects, this invention is an improvement on the automatic grid casting machine forming the subject matter of U. S. Patent No. 1,720,357 granted July 9, 1929, in my name, and on the semi-automatic grid casting machine forming the subject matter of U. S. Patent No. 2,068,420 granted January 19, 1937, in the names of Harry B. Lockwood and myself.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a grid casting machine which has increased efficiency, which admits of the production of better grids, and which has a greater degree of flexibility in the respect that the cycles of operation and different parts of the cycle can be readily modified to adapt the machine for the production of grids of different sizes and weights.

A further object is to improve the control of the machine and particularly the stopping of the machine at any point in the cycle of operations, together with provision of means for bringing about an immediate opening of the mold without requiring that the machine go through other parts of the cycle of operations prior to efiecting the opening of the mold.

A still further object is to provide a casting machine with improved mechanism for transferring the molten metal from the melting pot to the mold and particularly to eliminate or to reduce to a minimum the dripping of molten metal on the machine proper.

A still further and more detailed object is to provide improved means for the disposing and handling of the grids following their discharge from the mold.

The above and other objects are attained by the present invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain .novel details of construction and combination and arrangements of parts which will be described in the "specification and set forth in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown an embodiment which operates with high efiiciency,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the casting machine with certain parts shown by dotted lines in abnormal or inoperative posiiton;

Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlarged scale showing a portion of Fig. 1 with parts broken away to show the interior construction, the mold being shown open in this figure whereas in Fig. 1 it is shown closed;

Fig. 3.is a rear view of the machine omitting the pot and certain other parts shown in Fig. 1, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view showing the ladle in tilted position and delivering a charge of molten metal to the mold;

I Fig. 5 is a front view of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view showing by dotted lines 10 the movable mold member swung to inoperative position;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation with 15 parts in section showing certain parts of the control mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 and showing a portion of Fig. 8 with the. control pedal in depressed position;

I Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing more of the control mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view showing in side elevation a portion of Fig. 10 with the parts in a different position than shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view substantially along the line I2-l2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of part of the operating mechanism, this mechanism serving to swing the ladle from its normal position to pouring position and to tilt. the ladle; and

Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary views of certain detent mechanism which stops and straightens the grids as they are discharged from themold preparatory to being engaged by the stacker which moves them forward along grid receiving rails.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine comprises a suitable. frame I on which all the mechanism of the casting machine proper is supported and at the front of which is a mold to be referred to presently. Adjacent the casting machine is a melting pot 2. This machine has been designed for casting from lead or lead antimony double storage battery grids of common form, in which event the lead and antimony will be melted in the pot 2. Supported above the pot 2 is a motor 3 which drives a suitable pump 4 in the pot, the pump delivering the molten metal through a pipe 5 to an automatically controlled valve 6, the valve preferably being of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,720,357 referred to above. This valve has a delivery pipe I which delivers a charge of molten metal of predetermined amount into a ladle 8 which is mounted for horizontal swinging and tilting movements at the outer or free end of a horizontal arm 9 which is above the frame I and has its inner end fixed to the upper end of a hollow vertical shaft I0 which is journaled in suitable portions of the frame I and is adapted to be turned on its axis in a manner to be subsequently explained to swing the ladle from metal receiving position at one side of the casting machine proper through an arc of substantially 90 to delivery position over the mold where it is tilted in the manner to be explained to deliver the charge of molten metal into the mold.

The mold consists of a stationary mold member II and a movable mold member I2 which slides back and forth with a rectilinear movement into and out of engagement with the stationary mold member I I. Cut or otherwise formed on the adjacent faces of the two mold members are the mold cavities for the articles to be cast, in this instance double or twin storage battery grids I3 (Fig. 5) which are provided with lugsat their upper'corners and are adapted to be cut in two and trimmed for use in batteries in the well known manner. Movable as a unit with themold member I2 is a base portion I4 which is secured to two rails I5 and it which are adapted to slide horizontally on ways I! and I8 which are secured inhorizontal position to opposite sides of the frame I, see particularly Figs. 3 and 5. As shown in Fig, 5, the rail l5 has a V-shaped lower portion which slides in a correspondingly shaped groove of the way I? while the engaging surfaces of the rail I6 and way I3 are flat. This arrangement secures proper guiding of the movable mold member, but at the same time admits of expansion. and contraction without any binding between the sliding parts and the surfaces of the ways which they engage.

Ordinarily, the movable mold member I2 is moved back and forth horizontally and maintained in parallelism with the stationary mold member H; but to permit access to the mold faces for cleaning or coating purposes, the movable mold'member is in this instance pivotally mounted at one endon a vertical pin Iscarried by the base-portion H! (see Fig. 5) so that it may be swung horizontally to a position at or substantially' at right angles to its normal, position. A suitable latch 2t carried-by the base I4 normally holds the mold member I2in proper position on the base I4, but when the latch is disengagedthe mold may be swung laterally, as just explained.

The mold member I2 is moved horizontally. by a pair of side arms ZI which have disengageable connections-with studs 2 la projecting from opposite endsof the mold member I2, as in the Lockwood and WillardPatent No. 2,068,420, it being understood that the side arms 2! are swung from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position shown in the same figure when it is desired to swing the movable mold member from its normal position in parallelism with they stationary mold member II to a position at right angles thereto, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the side arms 2i are swung upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, they may be retained in that position by any suitable form oflatches 22 one of which is indicated in Fig. 1.

These side arms 2i. are onthe outside of the upright sides of the frame I, and their rear ends are pivotally connected to cranks 23 which are secured to a rock shaft 24 journaled in the sides of the frame I and projecting therethrough. The rock shaft 24 has secured to it about midway of its ends an arm 25 to which is secured the upper end of a plunger 25 of a hydraulic motor the cylinder of which is indicated at 27 and is pivotally supported at its lower end on a suitable bracket 28 carried by a cross-member of the frame I. The hydraulic mold opening and closing means herein illustrated has well known advantages over the mechanical closing means with its associated springs to provide yieldability in case the closing movement of the movable mold member is obstructed. The motive fluid, generally oil, is delivered to one or the other end of the cylinder and at the same time exhausted from the other end by a pair of pipes 26 (see Fig. 2), these pipes being connected to a plungertype four-way valve 3 shown in the same figure, this valve having a chamber suitably connected by piping with an oil pump not shown, but which delivers oil at the requisite pressure. The plunger 3I of this valve is manipulated in a manner to be explained.

Passing now to the mechanism for actuating all parts of the casting machine, the power for operating the machine is derived from a small electric motor 32 mounted on the lower part of the frame as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This motor, through reduction gearing in a gear box 33 and through changeable gears 36 outside the gear box 33 constantly drives ashaft 35 so long as the motor is running. This shaft extends along the lower rear part of the machine and maybe extended beyond the frame I so as to operate two or more similar casting machines.

Surrounding shaft 35 between the sides of frame 5' is a hollow shaft 36 to which is secured a series of cams which operate the various parts of the machine. The hollow shaft 35 is adapted to be clutched to the motor driven shaft 35' by a clutch consisting of a clutch member 37 (see particularly Fig. 3) which is splined to the shaft 35 and a clutch-member 33 which is secured to or forms a part of'the hollow shaft or sleeve 36. The clutch member 38 also forms a brake drum which is engaged by'a brake band 39 for the purpose of stopping the hollow shaft 3% the instant that the clutch is disengaged. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 10. wherein these parts are shown somewhat diagrammatically, the starting of the machine is controlled by a hand lever it! which is located at one side of the machine. This hand lever is attached to a rock shaft ii journaled in the frame of the machine and provided with two arms 52 and 53 connected respectively to the clutch and the brake in a manner such that, when the hand lever 49 is shifted to engage the clutch, the brake is at the same time released. In this instance, as shown in Fig. 10, the arm a2 is connected by a link Mto an arm a of a clutch shifting yoke 45 which is journaled on asuitable part of the frame I. The arm 43 on rockshaft M is connected by a link at to the toggle arms M which, when straightened, release the brake and, when broken, permit the brake to be applied by a spring.

To stop the machine at any instant, the operator depresses with his foot a stop pedal 13. which extendsacross the front of the machine and is fixed to a rock shaft 49 journaled in the lower front part of the frame I. Fixed to this shaft 49 are three arms 53; 5!, and 52, the first of which is connected by a link 53 to an arm 45b of the clutch yoke 45, while the second arm 5i is conheated by a link 54 to the toggle mechanism 41 of the brake. The third arm 52 is connected-"by a link 55 to a part of the lead valve operating mechanism to be referred to presently.

Normally, a spring 460. (Fig. 10) retains the starting lever in its forward position, and a spring or equivalent means indicated at 48ain Fig. 10 holds the stop pedal 48 in its elevated'position. To start the machine, the operator pulls forward on the lever 40 and this movement throws in the clutch and releases the brake. He can then release the starting lever 40 which then returns to its normal position without affecting the cluch and brake due to pin and slot connections between the links 44 and 46 and the arms 42 and 4.3. Similarly, to stop the machine the operator depresses with his foot the stop pedal 48, and this instantly disengages the clutch and applies the brake. The operator can then remove his foot from the stop pedal, which is returned by the spring to its normal position, and this of course without affecting the clutch or brake due to the pin and slot connections between the links 53 and 54 and the arms and 5|.

One additional control member is shown in Fig. 10, as well as in Figs. 8 and 9, this being a safety pedal 56 which is also at the front of the machine and normally stands slightly above the stop pedal 48. The purpose of this safety pedal is to cause the immediate opening of the mold independently of the normal cycling of the machine and without requiring the machine to perform any additional steps of the cycle. The independent and quick opening of the mold is desirable in case of emergency, as, for example, if the closing movement of the molds should be obstructed for any reason. This safety pedal is loosely mounted on shaft 49 and is normally held by a spring 56a in its upper position. When depressed by the operators foot it is held in depressed position by a pivoted latch 5'! (see Figs. 8 and 9) so that the mold will be retained in open position until the operator disengages the latch 51 and allows the pedal 56 to return to its upper position. When the pedal 56 is depressed it rocks an arm 56b which is connected by a link 58 to a part of the mechanism controlling the four-way valve 30 which controls the plunger operating in the hydraulic cylinder 21. This will be referred to again after other parts of the operating mechanism are explained.

The cams and other elements which operate the various parts of the machine will now be explained. Secured to the hollow shaft 36 are five cams which are best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, these cams being as follows: A ladle swinging cam 59, a ladle tilting cam 60, a cam 6| which actuates the valve controlling the opening and closing of the mold, a cam 62 controlling a water valve for causing a'shot of water to be discharged onto the molten metal in the gate of the mold so as to hasten the cooling and congealing of the metal, and a cam 63 for operating the valve which controls the discharge of molten metal from the pump 4 to the ladle 8.

The operations of the cycle are as follows in the order named: The mold is closed, molten metal is delivered into the ladle 8, the ladle is swung over the top of the machine, the ladle is then tilted so as to cause the charge of molten metal to be delivered into the mold, the ladle is restored to normal position adjacent the upper rear corner of the machine, a shot of water is squirted onto the molten metal of the gate, the mold is opened, and the cast grid is ejected from the mold and slides down an inclined chute to be referred to presently. This cycle is repeated until the operator stops the machine.

Considering now the cams in the order in which they function during the cycling of the machine, the cam 61 which operates the fourway valve of the hydraulic motor (see Fig. 8) is engaged by a roller 64 which is at the front of the plunger 3| of the valve 30. The function of the cam BI is to move the roller rearwardly and position the movable member of the valve so as to admit pressure to the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 21 and exhaust it from the lower end and thus cause the mold to open. The mold remains open for a brief period, in fact only long enough for the grid to be ejected from the mold, as will be seen by the contour of the cam 6| in Fig. 8. The roller soon rides off the high spot of the cam as it follows the eriphery of the cam, thus causing the immediate closing of the mold, and this is caused in this instance by a spring 65 (Fig. 8) which is connected to the link 58 which in turn is connected to an arm 66 pivoted at its lower end and having a pin and slot connection with the plunger 3| of the valve and the support for the roller 64 which engages the periphery of the cam 6|. Thus the valve is moved in one direction by the cam and is moved in the reverse direction so as to cause the mold to close,this being accomplished by the spring 65 acting on the link 58 and the arm 66. This action is not interfered with by the safety pedal 56 by reason of the pin and slot connection between the link 58 and the arm 561) connected to the safety pedal 56. On the other hand, if the machine is stopped with the mold other than in full open position, the manner of actuating the valve normally through the cam iii is such that, by the depression of the safety pedal 55,

the roller 64 is moved back independently of the cam 6i so as to shift the movable member of the valve 3|] to mold opening position.

Immediately following or during the closing of the mold in the manner just stated, the cam 63 causes a charge of molten metal to be deliv-- ered to the ladle. To accomplish this, the periphery of the cam 63 is engaged by a roller 61 carried by an arm 68 (see Figs. 10 and 11) acted on by a spring 69 which causes the roller to follow the periphery of the cam. When the roller 61 rides onto the high spot of the cam 63 it moves rearwardly a slide if! (Figs. '7, l0, and 11) composed 'of two principal parts Tim and lllb which are normally in alignment with each other, as shown in Fig. 10, but are adapted to be moved relatively out of alignment by the depression of the safety pedal 56. The part 'lilb of the slide Iii is connected by suitable linkage designated H in Fig. 1 to the plunger of the lead valve 6, the arrangement being such that as the roller rides up onto the high spot of cam 63 the lead valve is opened so that a charge of molten metal is delivered to the ladle 8. I have not shown the details of this valve as it may be the same as shown in my prior Patent No, 1,720,357. Normally, as the high spot of cam 63 passes the roller the latter is caused to ride down the cam and thus cause the lead valve to be closed by a spring 12 (Fig. 1) which acts upon the plunger of the valve. Of course, an additional spring may be employed to counterbalance the linkage ll if desired. However, the spring 12 is usually sufiicient for this purpose.

It should be here noted that with the control mechanism which I have provided the machine cannot be stopped by depressing the stop pedal 48 with the lead valve left in open position even though the roller 6'! is on the high spot of cam 63. This contingency is avoided in my control a mechanism by reason of the fact that the link 55 connected to the arm 52 on the rock shaft 49 which is rocked when the stop pedal is deressed is connected to the lower end of a bell crank T3 one arm of which has a pin and slot connection with the part 79a of the slide 70, the parts being so arranged that when the stop pedal is depressed the link 55 rocks the bell crank 13 and swings upwardly the part 79a of the slide Iii so as to disengage it from the part 191) of the slide, with the result that the spring 12 is permitted to immediately cause the lead valve to close even though the roller 61 is on the high spot of cam 63 when the machine is stopped.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 6 that normally the ladle 8 is adjacent the upper left-hand corner of the machine substantially outside the confines of the machine and that the lower or discharge end of the delivery pipe i for the molten metal is also located outside the confines of the machine, in which event any drip which may occur from the delivery pipe 1 will not fall. on the machine but is caught in a receptacle 14 which is supported at the rear of the machine.

As soon as the molten metal is delivered to the ladle the latter is swung horizontally over the machine to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 13 through an arc of about 90. Then the ladle is tilted to fill the mold. Preferably the metal is delivered from opposite sides of a delivery spout 8a which is provided on the delivery side of the ladle, as best shown in Fig. 13, reference being had also to Fig. 4 which shows how the metal is delivered by the spout 8a. In this fash- 40 ion two streams of molten lead are delivered into the gate of the mold as is desired when twin or double grids are being cast.

The cam 59 is utilized to effect the swinging movement of the ladle from the full line position shown in Fig. 13 to the dotted line position shown therein, as explained above. This cam is engaged by a roller 15 which is carried by an arm 16a. of a rock shaft 16 (see particularly Fig. 13) suitably pivoted on the frame of the machine, this rock shaft having an upstanding arm 761) which reciprocates a slide 18 guided by a wedge-shaped way 79 on one of the sides of the frame I, as clearly shown in Fig. 13. Attached to or formed integral with this slide is a rack 89 which turns in one direction and then the other a gear 8| secured to the lower end of the hollow vertical spindle I 0 to the upper end of which is secured the swinging arm 9 which carries the ladle 8. A suitable spring (indicated conventionally in Fig. 13) is connected to the rock shaft 16 and causes the roller 15 to follow the contour of the periphery of cam 59 so that the ladle will be swung from normal position to delivery position and, after a short dwell during which the molten metal is poured from the ladle into the mold, the ladle is again swung back to its normal position ready to receive another charge of molten metal for the next cycle.

The ladle tilting cam 60 is located next to the ladle swinging cam 59. The periphery of the ladle tilting cam 69 is engaged by a roller 82 by an arm 83a of a rock shaft 83 pivotally supported on the frame of the machine, as best 79 shown in Fig. 13, this rock shaft having an arm 83?) the outer end of which is connected to the lower end of a rod 84 adapted to move vertically in the hollow shaft [9. The upper end of this rod 84 bears against the lower end of an adjustable abutment which may be in the form of a setscrew carried by an arm 85a which is pivotally mounted on arm 9 near its inner end, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 13. This bell crank has an adjustable arm 8521 which is connected by a rod 86 to an adjustable collar 81 mounted on a stud (not shown) journaled in the outer end of arm 86 and carrying the ladle 8. When the cam 60 lifts the rod 84, the ladle 8 is tilted to cause the molten metal to be discharged into the mold, and when the rod 84 is moved downward through the action of a suitable spring 830 (indicated in Fig. 13) which may be connected to the rock shaft 16, the ladle is restored to its normal position by the action of a spring 86a shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 13.

The metal having been poured into the mold, the next operation in the cycle is the cooling of the molten metal by causing a shot of water to be deposited on the molten metal in the gate. I have not deemed it necessary to show all portions of this mechanism for it may be and preferably is similar to that disclosed in the Lockwood and Willard Patent No. 2,068,420. However, in Fig. l I have shown at 88 the delivery end of the water pipe which supplies water onto the molten metal, and in Fig. 7 the water valve is shown at 89. The plunger of this Valve, as in the Lockwood and Willard patent, is depressed by a lever 90 carrying a roller 9| which engages the periphery of the cam 62 which operates this valve. The pump and the lever are mounted on a suitable bracket 92 (Fig. '7) suitably supported on the frame I of the machine. A spring (not shown) causes the roller 9| to follow the periphery of the cam 62 and when the roller rides off the high spot of the cam the water valve is closed, a self-closing valve being employed.

A short interval after the molten metal is delivered to the mold and after the shot of water is squirted onto the metal in the gate to hasten.

the congealing of the metal, the mold is opened by the action of the hydraulic motor controlled by the cam 6| already described. When the mold is opened, the casting adheres to the stationary o mold member, and, following the opening movement of the mold or during the latter part thereof, the casting is ejected from the mold by a series of ejectors in the form of pins 93 which are carried by an ejector plate 94 and extend through the stationary mold member II and its supporting plate Ha, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The plate 94 is carried by a slide 95 (Fig. 6) guided on two rods 96 which are fixed in and project rearwardly from the back plate Ha. of the stationary mold member I I.

The slide 95 has at one end a bearing boss 95a which fits over one of the guide rods 96 and the other a bearing box 95b which is fitted over and slides on the other guide rod 96. The latter permitting relative lateral movement between it and the guide rod to prevent binding due to variation in the spacing of the guide rods 96 by expansion or contraction of the plate Ila carrying the guide rods. The guide rods have at their ends adjustable abutments in the form of nuts 950 which limit the rearward movement of the slide and of the ejector pins, and the boss 95a and box 95b are normally held against them by springs 91 attached to the slide, as shown in Fig. 6. For the purpose of actuating the slide I mount in the upper part of the frame I a rock shaft 98 which is provided with a pair of depending arms 99 which are connected by adjustable flexible links I (Fig. 6) to the slide. One of these arms 99 is extended downwardly below the other and is provided at its lower end with a roller IOI (Fig. 2) which engages a cam I02 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is on rock shaft 24 which in turn is rocked by the hydraulic motor to actuate the movable mold member I2. When the mold is opened, the nose of cam I02 moves the ejector forwardly so as to eject the casting. During the closing movement, the ejectors are given a similar actuation, but this stroke is idle and does no harm, the ejectors being withdrawn before the movable mold member contacts with the stationary mold member.

When the casting in the form of a double grid is ejected from the mold, it slides down an inclined chute I03 onto the inner ends of a pair of stacker rails I04 which project forwardly from the front of the machine. A stacker is provided to move the grids forwardly along the rails so that they will be bunched as shown by dotted lines at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, it

being understood, of course, that the lugs projecting from the opposite upper corners of the twin grids engage and rest upon these rails with the body portions of the grids hanging down between the rails. As the twin grids slide down the chute I03 they are stopped temporarily by a pair of movable grid-stops I05 which detain the grid long enough for it to straighten out relative to the rails and for the body portion to assume a vertical position for engagement by the pusher of the stacker mechanism.

By reference to Figs. 14 and it will be seen that each of these grid-stops includes an upper bar I05a which is secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft I05b (shown by dotted lines in these figures) journaled in a boss I06 at the outer side of the adjacent grid rail I04. At the lower end of the shaft I05b is a, second bar I050. In practice, these two bars are seated in transverse slots in upper and lower collars secured to the ends of the shaft, the inner end of the upper bar projecting inwardly over the adjacent rail I04 in position to be engaged by the lug at the corner of the twin grid and the inner end of the lower bar I050 also projecting inwardly for a purpose to be explained. Springs l0? which are connected to the outer ends of the upper bars I05a normally hold the gridstop in the given position but yield so as to permit the grid to be moved past the grid-stop and forwardly along the rails I04.

Immediately after the twin grid slides down the chute I03 and is stopped by its corner lugs engaging the inner ends of the upper bars I050. of the grid-stops, the grid is engaged and pushed forwardly along the rails I04, and in so doing swings the grid-stops so as to allow the grid to be moved forwardly past the latter. This is accomplished by mechanism which .includes a reciprocating pusher I00 (see particularly Figs. 2 and 12) supported at the forward ends of two parallel horizontal bars I09 which slide along two rails H0 projecting forwardly from the rear of the machine. This pusher and the bars I09 move as a unit, and this unit is reciprocated by a link III connected to the lower end of an arm I I2 which is secured to the rock shaft 2 3, as best shown in Fig. 3. r

To swing the grid-stops and thus permit the pusher I100 to move the grid forwardly along the rails I provide at each end of the pusher a latch- II3 pivoted on a small bracket H4 secured to the pusher as best shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the latch being so positioned that it is adapted to move back and forth just outside of the adjoining grid rail I04 and inside of the collar at the lower end of the shaft I052) of the grid-stop. The arrangement is such that as the pusher moves forwardly the nose of the trailing or rear end of the latch II3 engages the inner end of the lower bar I050 of the stop and thus rocks the grid-stop about the axis of shaft I051). This allows the grid to move forwardly, and, after a certain forward movement, the lugs at the corners of the grid slide past the inner ends of the upper bars I05 and at or about the same time the hooks of the latches II3 slide off the inner ends of the lower bars I050, whereupon the grid-stops snap back to their former positions under the action of the springs I01. After the grid has been moved forwardly a predetermined distance, the pusher returns, and during the return movement the noses of the pawls II3 simply ride over the inner ends of the lower bars I050.

The mold remains open only for a very brief portion of the operating cycle, i. e., long enough for the double grid to be ejected and to slide down from between the two mold members. Before the operation of the pusher described above is completed, the mold is again closed, and the cycle of operations described above is repeat-ed, which cycle includes the delivery of a predetermined amount of molten metal into the ladle, the swinging of the ladle over the machine and the tilting of the ladle to cause the charge to be delivered into the mold, the return of the ladle to its normal position, the delivery of a shot of water onto the molten metal in the gate, the opening of the mold, the ejection of the cast grid, the operation of the pusher which moves it forwardly along the grid rails, and the more or less simultaneous closing of the mold for the start of the next cycle. While these operations are described as occurring successively, and certain of them must of course occur successively, nevertheless to an extent the mechanisms which are utilized in the performance of these various functions operate simultaneously so as to permit the period of the operating cycle to be as short as possible.

As previously stated, the machine is started by the operator pulling the hand lever 00 forwardly so as to cause the motor driven shaft 35 to be clutched to the hollow operating shaft 35 which carries the several cams, it being remembered that simultaneously with the engagement of the clutch the brake on shaft 36 is released. The machine continues to run and completes cycle after cycle until the operator disengages the clutch and an the same time applies the brake by depressing with his foot the stop pedal 48. As pointed out above, the machine cannot stop with the lead valve 6 open for the rod 55 operatively connected to the stop pedal breaks the lead valve operating mechanism I0 so as to permit the lead valve to be closed automatically by its spring even though the machine is stopped with the roller 61 on the nose of the cam 63. As described above, if the machine is stopped with the mold closed, the operator has only to depress the safety pedal 56 to cause the immediate opening of the mold without causing any other steps of the cycle to be performed for the action of the safety pedal operates the fourway valve 343 in a manner such as to admit motive fluid to the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder and to exhaust it from the lower end, which is the function normally performed by the high spot of cam 6|.

Furthermore, the cycle of operations is in no Way disturbed by this action of the safety pedal, and it is only necessary for the operator to kick loose the latch which holds the safety pedal depressed and to pull forward the starting lever 30 to again start the machine at the point in the cycle where the machine was previously stopped.

The time of the cycle of operations can be readily altered by changing the ratio of the change speed gears 34 which connect the moto driven speed reducing gearing in the gear box 33 to the motor driven shaft 35. Furthermore, the shaft which carries the brake drum and the cams 59, 60, 6|, 62, and 63 is located at the more or less open rear part of the machine Where access can be readily had to it. In practice, these cams are formed of relatively adjustable parts, and. this fact, coupled with the fact that they are on a readily accessible shaft, makes it possible to easily and quickly adjust individually the several steps or operations of the cycle.

It should be noted also that the molten metal is delivered to the ladle outside of the outline of the machine proper so that dripping of molten metal on the machine is practically eliminated and even though the lead valve should stick in open position and thus result in an overflow, this would do no harm to the operating mechanism of the machine. Finally, it should be noted that the sliding movement of the movable mold member is unaffected by contraction and expansion and the same is true of the ejector mechanism. Additionally, the mounting of the movable mold member is such that it can be swung like the leaf of a book to a position more or less at right angles to its normal position so as to permit access to both mold members for cleaning or other purposes.

Thus it will be seen that the objects of the present invention are attained to a high degree by the machine herein disclosed. While I have shown the preferred construction, I do not desire to be confined to the precise details shown and described but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure rom the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a casting machine, a stationary mold member, a movable mold member adapted to travel toward and from the stationary mold member with a rectilinear movement, ways for supporting the movable mold member, a base between the Ways and the movable mold member, said movable mold member being normally maintained in parallelism with the stationary mold member and being pivoted at one end to the base whereby it may be swung laterally to permit access to the faces of the movable and stationary mold members.

2. In a casting machine having relatively movable mold members, an ejector serving to eject a casting from the mold when it is opened and a chute down which the casting slides when ejected, means for receiving the castings, a pusher for delivering the same along the receiving means, and stop means for temporarily stopping a casting and positioning it for engagement by the pusher.

3. In a machine for casting double storage battery grids with lugs at the corners thereof having relatively movable mold members and a delivery chute below the mold down which the grids are adapted to slide when ejected from the open mold, grid receiving rails adapted to be engaged by the lugs of the grids, a stacker for moving the grids along the rails, and stop members for engagement by the lugs of the grids, said stacker including a pusher and having means whereby the grids are released from the stop means.

4. In acasting machine having a mold composed of relatively movable mold members for casting double storage battery grids with lugs at the corners thereof and having ejecting means for ejecting the grid from the mold when it is opened, grid receiving rails at a level below the mold, an inclined chute for delivering the grids from the mold to the rails, pivoted stops for temporarily stopping the grids and engageable by the corner lugs thereof, a stacker for moving the grids along the rails and having means for turning the pivoted stops to release a grid therefrom.

5. In combination, a casting machine including relatively movable mold members, mechanism for opening and closing the mold, and a framework supporting the mold and said mechanism, a pot adapted to contain molten metal, said pot being separate from and located adjacent the side of said machine, means for transferring charges of molten metal from the pot to the mold, said means including a valve-controlled delivery member having its intake and communicating with the pot and having its discharge end located laterally to one side of said casting machine as defined above, a ladle, means for swinging the ladle horizontally over the top of said casting machine from a position to receive the molten metal from the discharge end of said delivery member to a position adjacent the metal receiving portion of said mold when closed, and means for tilting said ladle when it is in the last mentioned position.

6. In combination, a casting machine including relatively movable mold members, mechanism for opening and closing the mold, and a framework supporting the mold and said mechanism, a pot adapted to contain molten metal, said pot being separate from and located adjacent the side of said machine, means for transferring charges of molten metal from the pot to the mold, said means including a valve-controlled delivery member having its intake end communicating with the pot and having its discharge end located laterally to one side of said casting machine as defined above, a ladle, means for swinging the ladle horizontally over the top of said casting machine from a position to receive the molten metal from the discharge end of said delivery member to a position adjacent the metal receiving portion of said mold when closed, and means for tilting said ladle when it is in the last mentioned position, the means for swinging the ladle including a hollow shaft in supporting relation to the ladle and adapted to be rocked about a substantially vertical axis and the means for tilting the ladle including a member extending through said hollow shaft and having its upper end in tilting relation to the ladle.

'7. A casting machine comprising a mold including relatively movable mold members, operating mechanism including a power-driven shaft with parts associated therewith for causing the machine to perform a sequence of operations including the opening and closing of the mold and a frame supporting the mold and operating mechanism, said mold being located adjacent the front end of the machine, means located below the mold and extending forwardly from the front end of the machine for receiving and supporting a quantity of the castings, means for delivering castings from the mold in a downward and forward direction to said casting receiving and supporting means, means located adjacent the front end of the machine for controlling said operating mechanism whereby the mold and castings may be inspected and the machine controlled by an operator standing at the front of the machine, a ladle mounted for swinging and tilting movements for delivering charges of molten metal to the mold, and means located adjacent and beyond the rear portion of the machine for delivering the molten metal to the ladle.

ALFRED R. WILLARD. 

